The Coma
by PercabethSkyewardClace13ore
Summary: Basically, after another run-in with the wrong end of Captain Cold's gun, Barry goes into a coma, and wakes up thinking Caitlin is his wife.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I was planning to post this later in time, but I just deleted So Filled With Glee, so I wanted something to fill the hiatus of my writing. School starts next week, and I'm sweating like a pig in anticipation of it. Also, it's like thirty degrees Celsius here.**

**Barry's POV**

I wake up, thanks to my alarm.

I groan, pressing the snooze button on my phone, then decide to get up.

After all, I can maybe beat a certain Dr Snow for work.

So I hurry through my morning process, and get to Jitters at exactly eight o'clock, and stroll in.

"Hey Izzie," I say to the girl behind the counter. She nods at me. "The usual?" I confirm it with a nod on my part. I get my wallet and hand over a twenty. When she gives me the change, I put a dollar in the tip jar.

"Thanks," I say, as she hands me my order.

I go to the alleyway outside Jitters normally, check both ways, then run to S.T.A.R Labs, scaring a certain apple of my eye.

"God!" Caitlin Snow screams.

"Actually, it's Barry, but the resemblance is striking." I say, with a cheeky grin.

Sh hits me with her magazine.

"Ow," I protest jokingly.

She chuckles.

"Come on, let's kill some time playing anatomically incorrect games," I say. Then I realise what I said, and hasten to correct it, "That was not a euphemism or anything," I say.

She gives me a smile. "What about the Game of Life? Also, not a euphemism," She blushes.

We're in the main lab by this time, and neither Dr Wells or Cisco are here, so I go over and get the game from the cabinet in the side room.

"Here you go. Boy or girl?" I ask, setting it up in five seconds.

"Girl. You?" She asks.

"Boy. Car?" I ask.

"Green. You?"

"Blue. You roll first." I hand her the dice.

"Three." She rolls the single dice.

"Four." I grin at her.

"Okay, Barry," She puts emphasis on my name, "you gonna go to college or be an uneducated buffoon?"

"In the interest of real life, I'll take college, thanks." I say.

"Spin." She points to the spinner.

"You're the boss," I smirk, and spin. It lands on four.

I move four spaces.

"Apparently, someone died and I get inheritence. Bank, please pay me $10,000." Caitlin scoffs, but counts the money with care, and hands it to me.

"So, Cait, is it college for you?"

"Nope. Let me pick two career ones."

"Well that's great," I mutter, but arrange the cards in a fan and present them to her.

She takes two. "Doctor or artist? You know what the answer is going to be."

She hands me the artist card back, and I fan out the salary cards.

She picks one. "Wow. $100,000."

"Great, I know who I am going to go to if we get to trade salaries."

She spins, and it lands on a one.

"I invent a new ice-cream flavour. Bank, please be so kind as to hand me $25,000." I hand it over.

"What is your favourite ice-cream flavour?" I ask.

She looks surprised, but replies nevertheless, "Chocolate. You?"

"I wouldn't have pegged you for that. More vanilla, or cookies or cream. But mine is undecided. I went to this ice-cream parlour in college, and I love all the flavours. But considering I can run on water, maybe we could go to Italy sometime and get gelato, you and me?"

"I'd like that." She confesses.

"But none of that chocolate buisness."

"Fine." She pouts.

"I'm kidding. Just as long as you get another flavour too."

"Kay. Your turn."

I spin to land on the seven, but I must graduate. I end up having scientist or IT expert, and I tell those options to Caitlin.

"I'll bet Felicity'd be thrilled." Caitlin says drily.

"Come on, you know I'm going to be a scientist."

She rolls her eyes in mock annoyance.

"And I get a pretty penny of a salary. Not quite on par with yours, of course, but its enough to live on." I say when I've plucked a salary card.

"Guys!" Cisco runs into the lab. "It's Captain Cold again."

At my confused look, he says, "Captain Cold? Leonard Snart? Guy with freeze ray that nearly killed you?"

"No, I know who he is, but I was wondering how you got here so fast."

"I fell asleep, and then it was two AM when I woke up, so I just stayed in a guest room."

"Okay. So where is he now?" I ask, and suit up quickly. Caitlin abandons the game on the table, and goes to sit in her desk chair.

"Um, looks like he's up 22nd Avenue, west-bound."

"On it," I say through the earpiece.

I run to 22nd Avenue, and stop outside the post office. "Where now?" I ask.

"Go to the 99 cent store. He's outside." Cisco says.

"I'm detecting unusually low heat specs. He's got his gun. It's a trap, Barry." Caitlin says.

"I don't care. Does he have any hostages?"

"Barry, we're going to have a very long conversation when you get back. And yes, a small child, it looks like. I'll set satellite imagery on it."

"Okay, I'm a block away."

"Barry, get on the rooftop. You'll have an advantage over him." Cisco calls.

So I head up the roof. "Will a super-sonic punch do it?" I ask.

"Yeah, theoretically." Cisco says.

"Barry, the kid is a fake. He's a shop mannequin set on fire." Caitlin says.

"Okay, but I'll try give his fake kidnapper a big whack." I say, and run to the edge of the city.

"Run, Barry! He's terrorising a real cameraman!"

"On it." I run, and run and run, and I don't think. I have two primary focuses, getting that bad guy out of action, and coming back to Caitlin. And STAR Labs, of course.

I round the final corner, and Snart sees it coming.

He unleashes the cold gun on me, but it can't stop my momentum.

I hit him right into next week, then pick him up, and run to the lab.

"You got a knockout needle anywhere?" I call. Cisco and Caitlin rush over, Cisco holding a giant as needle. Cisco takes the criminal to the particle accelerator prison.

Caitlin looks over the satellite footage of the attack, and repeats it.

Cisco returns, and she turns to give me a once-over.

"Barry, you're hurt. Cisco, help me get him to the bed." She instructs.

"Guys, what are you talking abo- oh. " I look down to see myself with a giant popsicled midsection. I'm on the bed with my shirt open before I even register it.

"Caitlin-" is the last thing I say before the world disappears.

Caitlin's POV

Oh crap. The guy I have a giant crush on is possibly dead. Wait. Giant crush? I don't waste any seconds thinking about it though, and I get Cisco to get as many heating apparatuses as he can, and to focus the heat energy into melting him, allowing his body to start healing.

I go into the chemical room and mix the right chemicals, only faltering once when I try remember the name of the last ingredient. The result is a heat serum I created the recipe for a while ago, the night after Barry's first run-in with the gun. It basically recreates the sensation of alcohol running down your throat to your entire body. Possibly like Firewhisky, from Harry Potter. Actually, that would possibly be a good name for it.

I drip the solution into a needle, and think about which vein to run it through. Probably one near his heart.

"Cisco, is it done?" I ask.

He yells a yes.

"Okay. Turn them all off, and get a heat reflective blanket." I order, to which he gives a mock salute and runs off to find it.

I spread his shirt open a bit more, and select the needle.

Don't think about what you're doing, Caitlin.

Another part of my brain retorts.

Yeah, you're only just sticking a needle into a hot guy.

_Shut up! _The first voice roars, and I get enough courage to do it steadily. I push the end of the thing down, draining the serum.

I hope it does him good.

I inspect the injuries, to see if they need my attention. None of them look life threatening at the moment, a couple of big cuts and bruises. What really worried me was at the rate they were healing. I have no idea how his brain is coping, but it must be directing all of the power to his stomach wound, leaving the others open in the process. I grab the nearby med kit, and put on some gloves. I apply antiseptic to eight cotton balls, one for each of the cuts I can see.

I swipe them across the cuts, throwing it away when I am done. On the last cut, the one on his cheek, I only need one hand, so I take one of my gloves off, to steady his head while I apply the antiseptic. This one might need stiches, but I can't tell till I've cleaned it.

He flinches a bit, and all his vitals spike up for a couple of seconds.

Cisco comes back with the blanket, and hands it to me. I place it on the chair, and start bandaging up the cuts.

When I'm done, I place the blanket over him. "So what's his status?" Cisco inquires.

His vitals start dwindling really fast, like an airplane whose engine just combusted.

"Cisco, we need the anti-inflammatory cream, stat. Also grab some more antiseptic." He runs, like faster than I have ever seen him run in my life.

He pushes the objects into my hands. "Anything else?"

"Yes, grab the bigger med kit. We're going to need a bunch of bandages."

I start with the antiseptic, just in case there is anything that could infect it on there. Then I squeeze out a lot of anti-inflammatory cream and start massaging it into his skin.

"Cisco, get some burn cream. I'm not sure what it can do for Barry, but-"

"On it."

Once the burn cream is applied, he stabilises. "There's no telling when he's going to wake up." I say to Cisco.

"In the meantime, we should inform Dr Wells of these developements."

"Okay."

"We should probably take shifts too. And call Barry in for a sabbatical at the CCPD. Say he's gone to Starling City to meet up with Oliver and Felicity."

"I'll call, and take the first shift. You look starving, amd I'm hungry too, so can you hit a Big Belly Burger and a kiosk? I need sugar and food."

"Okay, I'll be back soon."

"Take your time. Maybe after that, you can go home and sleep off those bags you try to hide with makeup."

"Call me if Dr Wells wants anything. And I do not have sleep circles."

I stalk off, stopping once to get my coat and purse.

I own a blue Citroen, and I am proud of it. I like my little car. It's not tiny, and it doesn't have more space than I need.

I click it open, and the lights flash in a greeting.

I take the employee exit, seeing as the main is chained up and boarded with signs calling this ' a hazardous location'.

Cisco rings as I pull up behind a couple cars at a red light.

I fumble with my purse for a bit, then find my phone, never taking my eyes off the road.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Cisco here. Dr Wells wasn't too happy with you leaving at first, but I reasoned with him, and he also wants the chicken burger deal, with a large Coke. And he also says that he should get junk food once in a while. I have to say he's right."

"Okay. And the CCPD?" The light turns green, and I am almost at the mall.

"Fine. No problems. You could probably kidnap a police officer and call it in as a urgently needed holiday."

"Cisco!"

"I said probably, didn't I? Purely theoretical, I promise."

"Call Joe and Iris too. They're not going to be happy. But its not serious. He's just unconscious."

"Actually Caitlin, after you went, his vitals started going loopy, so Dr Wells and I had to stabilise him again. He's in a coma."

"What? I'm coming back now. As his doctor, I have a right to-"

"Caitlin, the rest of us, and I mean mostly me, are going to die of hunger if we don't get anything to eat. I raided the kitchen this morning, and there is barely anything there. Pick up some Lucky Charms while you're there, okay?"

"Fine. I'll be back in fourty-five minutes."

"Don't hold your breath." He hangs up, and I turn into the carpark, easily finding a space.

I get out, grabbing my purse, and lock the door, which lights up briefly in a goodbye.

So basically, I am here to buy a heart attack.

I walk to the supermarket first.

I pull a trolley, and put in bread, milk, eggs, sugar, Powerade for Barry, fruit juice, Earl Grey teabags, and this other special tea which I know helps Dr Wells with his paralysis and his insomnia, adding chocolate chip cookies, Cisco's favorite pre-packaged cupcakes, Lucky Charms and Cheerios while I'm at it.

I go to the checkout, and spot some raspberry liquorice, and add that in, as a thank you present for Cisco.

I hope Barry wakes up soon. We barely started playing the game.

I pay with my credit card, and then I take the three bags, because I am not going to the food court, and stand in the line for Big Belly Burger with a trolley.

So I walk a fair distance to the queue, which is very small. I check my phone again, and see that it's three pm. That would explain it.

No messages. No news is good news, right?

It's my turn, and I order, mind still lingering on Barry.

I go to my car as quickly as I can after I pay and recieve my order, being careful because I am holding three large drinks.

I get into my Citroen, putting the shopping and my purse in the passenger side, and balancing the drinks on my lap.

The drive back to S.T.A.R Labs passes without incident, but I storm in as fast as I can, to see Barry, who is still the same as before. The others crowd around me, getting their food and drinks.

And I snap out of my trance.

"Oh, I thought we should restock the kitchen as well, so I bought some supplies. I'll go put them away."

"Actually Caitlin, I'll do that. You go eat and check on Barry," Cisco says, throwing a meaningful look at Dr Wells.

I put my paper bag and drink on a table, and check his pulse and heartbeat manually, something the machines around him have been doing since he got into the bed, but I want to check it myself.

I check for lumps on his head, and, finding none, I sit back down to eat.

-[Fifteen minutes later, when meal has been consumed and disposed of]-

"Hey Cisco?" I yell.

"Yes, Caitlin?" He comes running.

"Did you call the Wests?"

"Yeah, they didn't take it so well."

"What did they do?"

"Joe punched a wall, and Iris had a crying fit, when her boyfriend came over and hung up the phone."

"Yeouch."

"Hey, I feel weird asking you this, but can I take the night off? I have a date with a girl called Camilla. Felicity did a background check, she's clean. Moved here from England about a month ago, loves comics."

"YehI meet her soon?"

"Sure, as soon as you get together with Barry."

I splutter. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you have a thing for him."

"Maybe, but with Iris in the equation, I don't stand a chance."

"Maybe you do." He disappears back to where he came from, leaving me with my thoughts.

Dr Wells comes in. "How's he holding up?"

I don't need to play the pronoun game, I know who he's talking about.

"Good. No lumps, just a few cuts. He'll be awake within the next two weeks."

"That's good to hear. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." I reply quickly.

"All the same, I want you to put in a blow-up mattress here. You need to rest, and I know you wouldn't leave Barry's bedside. Take a pillow and a duvet from the other spare room. Cisco has been pumping up the mattress, and I'll look after him," He nods over to Barry, "While you get the other things."

I begrudgingly do so.

When the makesift bed is set up, Cisco hands me a t-shirt and sweatpants. I thank him, and change in the bathroom.

I come out, clothes in hand, and dump them next to my purse.

I get into the bed.

"Night." I say. I hear their quiet farewells.

And then I am asleep.

-[Seven Or So Hours Later]-

I wake up groggily, bleary-eyed and hungry.

I rub my eyes, and stand up, folding the blanket.

I run a hand through my hair, as I grab my tablet to check on Barry, who is sat up and staring back at me expectantly. I scream and drop the tablet.

"What's wrong?" He asks.

"God. Okay, you're awake."

I run over, and grab my phone, speed dialling Dr Wells.

"He's awake."

Then I hang up and call Cisco, repeating the same message.

I start running tests, after picking up the tablet and putting it on the table.

"Pupils equally reactive to light, slightly dilated. Pulse 106." I pull off the blanket and check his wound.

It's gone, instead, the same old abs show up.

"Wow. I'd have expected at least a mark."

"For what?" He asks.

"Why, your giant popsicled midsection from running headlong into Captain Cold's gun, of course." I say dryly.

"But Captain Cold is dead."

"Haha, no. I wish. He's in the prison."

"No, he's dead. We killed him ages ago."

Now I'm concerned. "Barry, what is the date?"

"It's November 18th, 2018."

"Okay. Calm down Caitlin." I whisper to myself.

He sits up, and swings his legs out of bed, standing right in front of me.

All of a sudden, my brain chooses to realise he's shirtless, and I blush.

He strokes my cheek.

"Barry, wha-"

He kisses my cheek, and I feel butterflies having a rock concert in my stomach.

Then, reason takes over, just as he pulls me into his arms.

I take a deep breath, saying to myself that it wasn't right to do this, to take advantage of this, and break out of his arms.

"What is wrong with you? You're supposed to be in love with Iris. What the hell are you doing kissing me?"

"I'm not in love with Iris, I haven't been for nearly four years. At the moment, I want to kiss my wife, and-"

"WIFE?" I exclaim.

**A/N: Please, pretty please, can I have reviews?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Sorry that I didn't update sooner! Thank you for the love, and why waste time writing a paragraph of things no one is going to read?**

Last time on 'The Coma':

_"What is wrong with you? You're supposed to be in love with Iris. What the hell are you doing kissing me?"_

_"I'm not in love with Iris, I haven't been for nearly four years. At the moment, I want to kiss my wife, and-"_

_"WIFE?" I exclaim._

"Yes, wife." he says irritatidly.

"Okay, now I have to go call-"

"Hello, Mr Allen." Dr Wells wheels into the room.

"Hi, Dr Wells." Barry says, and I address the problem to the guy in the wheelchair.

"Dr Wells, he seems to have brain damage, probably onset by his coma and healing."

"He looks fine to me," Dr Wells says.

"He thinks I'm his wife."

"Ah." He says knowingly.

"Okay. Barry, it's January, 2015, and I'm not your wife. You were in a coma for a couple hours, following an attack by Captain Cold, who is now currently immobilised in the metahuman prison." He doesn't seem to be listening, just staring at me intently.

"Barry!" I scold. He jumps.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening." He apologises ruefully.

"It's okay. Dr Wells, we better inform the CCPD that he can't come to work for a few more days. And update Iris and Joe to the current situation. And we better sort out where he's going to be staying. He can't go unsupervised."

"I agree. He should stay with you."

"What? Why? The guy thinks I'm his wife."

"He's obviously very comfortable around you," I give him a pointed look, but he continues. "Also, you're a doctor. And if he has any side effects, he's not likely to hurt you."

"I know, but-"

"There aren't any other options."

"You're right." I quietly admit defeat.

"Cait?" Barry says. I look to him, sitting where he sat yesterday morning, at the table where 'The Game of Life' still sits.

"Wanna play?" I ask him, and he nods. So I sit down in my chair.

"Your turn," I say to him, and he wastes no time in twirling the spinner, which lands on a ten. He moves his car to the required space, and then reads what it says. "You break your arm. Pay the doctor $100, or else pay the bank the same amount. Sounds like I'm going to pay you a visit." he smirks, the same old Barry smirk that I know, and it sends a twinge right to my gut.

"What if there's another doctor?" I ask.

"You know I'll always go to you." And I know he means it.

"Okay, this is sooo awkward, so I'm going to talk to Felicity, and you can stay here. Get back into the bed." He salutes me.

"Yes, ma'am."

So I grab my tablet and call her, putting a headset on, so I can hear what she's saying without Barry overhearing.

She picks up on the third ring.

"Mmhm?" She isn't looking at the camera, and is in the foundry. I guess she spends a lot of time there.

"Hi Felicity. It's Caitlin. We need to talk."

"That is never a good sentence. There was that time when- yeah, I got nothing." She babbles.

"It's about Barry."

"What? What happened? Is he okay?"

"I guess it depends what you mean."

"Spill, or I'll get Oliver to come and put 'the fear of God' in you."

"It's kind of a long story."

"I basically waited three years for a guy I liked to ask me out. I ain't got nothing, if not time. But I also have awesome hacking skills, and a really babbly mouth and-"

"Felicity!" I figuratively save her from falling into a pit of speech. "Long story short, we ran into Captain Cold's gun, Barry got him, we stabbed him with a needle, he's in the prison, then I saw the footage, where I saw him get hit by the gun, so I turned around, and saw him with a giant popsicle for a stomach, then he sort of lost consciousness, so Cisco heated him up, and I injected him with Firewhisky-"

"Firewhisky?"

"Another story. Anyway, a bit after that, he went into a coma, and I had to sleep in the same room as him, and when I woke up, I went to check him, and he was awake, and then a bit after that, he said I was his wife!" The last bit is a harsh whisper.

Felicity looks very surprised. "Wow. I'm guessing you yelled at him, and this is all very awkward for you."

"Don't tell me about it. Dr Wells said he had to share my apartment."

"And you have a crush on the guy, which is a problem why?"

"It's morally wrong. I want him to be him if he loves me."

"Makes sense."

"I think I'll catch the next train to Starling City, call it a weekend getaway, except there isn't a weekend in sight. What do you think?"

"With Barry?"

"Of course not." I scoff.

"Okay. You can't do this, Caitlin. You've got to be there for him."

"Why?"

"Because he knows you, and he'll come back to reality soon, trust me. But you can't leave him in the clutches of a male, or a person who doesn't know, like Iris."

"Wait, why can't I leave him with Joe again?"

Felicity groans. "Iris."

"Can he stay with you then?"

"Are you kidding me? Oliver would kill him out of annoyance before the week is over."

"But, didn't he go to Starling before?"

"Not for a week. And Oliver almost killed him then."

"Yeouwch." I draw it out.

"Yeah. Anyway, Oliver needs me now, so I have to go. So a quick recap: Do not leave Barry."

"Yeah I know, I know." I grumble, my spirits sinking. "Bye, Felicity."

I take my earplugs out, and put them and the tablet on the desk, before someone grabs me from behind. I almost scream, but am cut off by Barry, who says, "Someone's jumpy."

"Well, yes, you would be if you were grabbed from behind by someone when you work on a team with heroes without superpowers."

"You do have superpowers." He says, still cuddling me from behind, making me blush a little bit.

"Yeah, and what would they be?"

"Super-patience, your extreme powers of terrifying people, your healing abilities, and you're my kryptonite."

"What would being your kryptonite mean in terms of superpowers?" I say, forgetting the after-coma effects as we are in our own little bubble.

"Well, extreme persuasiveness, and the fact that you make me run faster."

"Um, thank you?"

"Don't mention it."

"I don't think I will, I mean, anyone who I tell will assume I've gone banana-balls."

"Fair point. Now, let's go home."

And suddenly, the bubble pops, and I come crashing into reality.

**A/N: So, thoughts? And which chapter did you like better? Thanks for the love!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Both I, and my computer, have messed this up like three times. I ain't doing yet another author's note, thank you very much.**

"Okay." I shrug his arms off, getting my purse, and walk down to my car.

"Give me your address, I could beat you home," Barry offers.

"We're not risking your super-speed. If something's gone wrong, I don't want to risk it. Go down to my car please, and I know you never got your licence, so get in the passenger seat. Here's the key." I toss him it, and he catches it. Smug bastard.

"What are you going to do?" He asks me.

"Get a bunch of medical stuff I need to monitor you with."

"Let me help."

"No, Barry. You should be hurting like hell, even with the accelerated hearing. You better be glad I'm not taking you in the van in a stretcher."

"What can I say? Your love hast healed thou."

"Shut up, and get in the car." I realise this is the worst tone to take with him, and amend it. "Sorry, I'm being snippy. Anyway, if you want to take something, just take this." I hand him the med kit, which I know I have at home, but the one at home is severely in need of replenishing. "The others I can manage."

"Yes, wifey." He's not making this easy, is he?

"Don't call me that, I'm warning you."

"Whatever you say, wifey." He departs, and unfortunately, my hands are still too laden with machines to hit him in the shoulder.

"Damn you, Allen!" I say.

I swear I hear a chuckle.

So I lag downstairs with the machines, and put them in the open trunk, alongside the med kit.

"Thanks for opening the trunk," I say, as I get into the driver's side of the car, slightly breathless and in a hurry to get going.

Barry smiles at me, and says, "No problem."

I turn on the ignition.

"I like your car. It's cosy, and it's blue."

"When you were in the coma, what was my car like?" I ask.

"It was a dark grey Volvo. I tried persuading you to get a Ferrari, but you pointed out that it would be absolutely impractical for the weather, and so, we didn't get a Ferrari. But, after I got my licence, we went to Italy for a day, and we rented a yellow Porsche, like in those books, Twilight or Dawn, or something like that, and we drove around the city, eating pizza and gelato, until you were full and sleepy, when I took you back home. It was the best day that I'd ever had, better than getting my powers, or putting my high school bully behind a glass wall in the particle accelerator. I already liked you from the start, but that day, that day I knew I was in love with you. Our wedding day, and our honeymoon and when I asked you to marry me, those were other best days too."

"Gelato, Italy." I whisper quietly.

"Yeah, just like we talked about before. When we were playing that game, when was that again?"

"That was," I check my watch, "this morning."

"Wow, time flies," He says.

"Pizza. Ronnie really wanted to go to Italy for our honeymoon." I speak in a whisper, then amend my volume as a curious question came into my head. "Where did we go? For our honeymoon?" I ask, out of curiosity.

"We went through Europe, in the yellow Porsche. We revisited Italy, went to Vatican City, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium." He says, looking at me. Even though I am driving, I feel him staring.

"Belgium?" I ask. It didn't seem like a place I'd go.

"Waffles and chocolate," He grins at me.

"Right. Remind me to be your dentist in an other life, will you? I'll be drowning in money."

"But what if in another life, I don't like sugar?"

"Yeah right. That'll happen." We laugh, and I realise something.

It hasn't really changed.

I mean, everything has changed, but still, he's the same Barry, and I'm still the same Caitlin. He hasn't gone nuts, like some crazy stalker type who needs to be with me constantly.

Maybe Barry really did like me, like me, even before the coma.

**A/N: Sorry for the really short chapter. I had writers block today, which I dispelled with 'Jack and Jill' and gummy bears and a candy fest. A few of you have addressed the issues of whether Barry was in the real future in his coma, or if his mind was making it up. Well, I have finally decided what to do about that.**

**It's not going to be the real future, because I did that when I was writing for MAOS, but I think I'll do a special chapter on Dr Wells making a trip into the future and what he sees. **

**So, thank you everyone for the love, and to those of you who said I was a good writer (I'm not, but I'll roll with it) and today I have started applying for different schools! Cross your fingers for me and hope I get into at least one of my choices! (Or don't, whichever works.)**


	4. Chapter 4: The Chapter Of Four

**A/N: Sorry I haven't written in ages, but I hope it was worth the wait. I am currently writing a short story called 'Jealousy', which will be posted on my tumblr, and possibly on here, depending on the reaction. Also have a bunch of new ideas- who knew that you could get so bored when a teacher talks to you? I didn't.**

**I'm Head Librarian and Head of The Book Club this year. I have jokingly renamed the title, 'Queen of The Nerds.'**

**Welcome to that, I guess. **

**Caitlin's POV**

Barry sits at the table, but I stand and drum my fingers against the table.

Let me just come out with it.

This is awkward.

The doorbell rings, and we look at each other awkwardly, and I decide to swallow the bullet first.

"Hey, wanna watch whatever's on?"

"I think they were doing a special on the cheetah on National Geographic."

"You watch National Geographic?"

"No." He admits, embarrassed.

"Okay then. But how did you know there was a National Geographic special tonight? You were in a coma, remember?"

"The night of Operation, I was going to see this one."

"Okay." I say, as I open the door with cash in hand.

The delivery guy is young, in his twenties, and hands me my order without looking at my eyes. Rather my chest area.

Barry comes up behind me and hands the guy some money. I don't know what to do. I've never really dealt with a pedophile before.

The guy still kept standing in the doorway. Still staring at my chest.

"Ahem," I cough.

"Would you like anything else?" The guys tone isn't exactly subtle, and I can feel Barry ready to explode at my side.

"No thank you." I try closing the door, but he sticks his foot in.

"We're going to the pub tonight, want to come and ditch little boy over here?"

Barry's reaching his breaking point, and the guy forces the door open again.

He tugs my wrist, and no sooner than he starts hurting me, he disappears.

Barry reappears a second later, then closes the door behind him. He flashes back with some ice, and I flop down on the couch. I have had too much of a long day.

"Thanks Barry," I say in a small voice from the couch. Then I get up, deciding that sweatpants and a long tee would be nicer about now.

"Need anything?"

"No, I'm getting changed. Now it seems your super-speed is fine, so you might want to change into something more comfortable? I've got sweatpants that might actually fit you."

"No thanks. I'll grab some stuff, and come back."

"Okay." I lock the bathroom door behind me and take a deep breath.

I get changed rather fast, and undo my hair. I take my lipstick off, my lips reverting to their natural pink state, but I don't wear other make-up, so I'm good on that front.

I comb my fingers through my hair until it falls in waves down my shoulders, then I put it up in a messy bun and go out, dropping my dirty laudry in the hamper and stretching my elastic onto my wrist (the non-affected one) in the process.

I sit on my couch and examine my wrist. It should just bruise, but I think I should put a bandage on it anyway, just in case. In college I had read of complications including infection, so I wasn't going to take the chance.

I grab the roll from the med kit, and a clothespin too, and sit back down on the couch.

Maybe I had been too harsh on Barry. He was still Barry, essentially, it was just a brain thing.

"Can I help?" Speak of the devil.

"Um, I got it." I knew his very presence intoxicated me like alcohol.

"No you don't. Let me help."

I take another deep breath and hold both the bandage and my wrist out. His jaw tightenes as he sets eyes on my wrist, but it's just red at this point.

"It's fine, I just bruise easily." I tell him, to which he nods. He sits on the couch next to me, and slowly the process of transferring the bandage onto my arm began.

It feels domestic, and its over too soon.

I grab the Chinese food and sit back on the couch next to Barry.

"Here's the dumplings, as per requested." I hand two takeout boxes to him, as well as a pair of chopsticks.

"No way."

"What?"

"You don't like dumplings?!"

I shrug. "They're okay."

"No. This is not acceptable. You did not just call dumplings 'okay'."

"But I did. So let me eat."

He takes my food and puts it behind his back.

"You have to eat a dumpling, confess sincerely it is the greatest thing ever, then you shall get your food back."

I sigh.

"Give it to me straight. No fancy sauces or whatnot."

"Nope."

"Damn it. Just as long as there isn't any avocado in it."

"Avocado why?"

"I'm allergic."

"All those years, in the coma, and you never told me. Not once. Zip. Zilch."

"Well-" He uses they opportunity to stuff it right into my unsuspecting mouth, and his face is so close to mine, and I can't chew, or swallow.

"Really Dr Snow, you know how to eat."

I suddenly find my abilities again, and the dumpling begins its perilous journey into my stomach.

"See? There you go." This time, I'm curious as to see what my closeness might do to him. I lean in, closer and closer, until he finally closes his eyes, and I realise he should be _sleeping_, for god's sake.

So instead I grab my takeout, and kiss him on the cheek after deciding that I couldn't just leave him hanging, to which he opens his eyes, and I announce, "Victory is served!"

He chuckles and I lie my head on his shoulder, and his head just comes to rest on top of mine.

I take slow bites of my dinner, and I stop eating halfway through, and put it down on the couch beside me, and close my eyes.

A while later, I open them and remove my head.

Barry opens his eyes sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Uh, ten-thirteen, by my watch." I say, checking.

**A/N: Any thoughts? I looked back on this chapter and I have realised, I TOTALLY SUCK AT WRITING. As to any of you who wondered how it took me so long, I'm a bit slow.**

**And to the anon who may or may not be a WestAllen shipper: Screw logic. It's my story.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for not updating earlier. I got a bad score on a test and my mom banned me from writing. The situation has not changed. On another note, I will start attending a support group in the next term.  
**  
"Let's build a blanket fort!" He grins, like this is an actual thing people do at ten o'clock at night.

I don't even contemplate the idea.

"How does anything you just said have to do with anything I just said?"

"I have no idea. But we're doing it. I have superpowers, end of discussion."

That is not a valid answer.

Probably one somewhere in some alternate universe, but not in this one.

"Barry, please, go to bed. It's ten at night, and I probably have to work tomorrow." My tone is pleading, and I hate it.

I hate how it shows so much vulnerablility, reminding me how much I've been spun around today.

"Come on, Caitlin. It's just a blanket fort. What harm could it do?"

I remember a ghostly echoing, a 'What harm could it do?', and suddenly struggle to keep my emotions under check.

Ronnie said that.

A lot.

My throat goes tight, and all I want to do is run and hide in my room.

And cry.

Definitely cry.

"Barry, you can build a blanket fort in your room. I'm going to bed." I read somewhere that making an example might encourage others to do the same.

"Fine. Can we do it tomorrow then, together?"

_It might as well be a victory_, my tired mind says.

"Okay. But you have to stay in bed tomorrow. Non-negotiable."

"But Caaaaiit-" His tone is familiar, like he does this everyday.

Maybe he did, in his comaverse.

"No. You've just been in a coma."

"Well I didn't ask for this."

The words sting a bit, adding to the emotional hurt locker my body was building, but I muster up the courage to look him in the eye with my coldest stare.

"Neither did I."

Then I pull the movie heroine stunt and storm off to my room. I make sure to lock the door before I change into my sweatpants and baggy shirt, then crawl into a nest of blankets and allow myself to break down.

There goes setting an example.

Sometime during the crying, I must've fallen asleep, because I was woken up by a scream.

I bolt upright, heart pounding.

I think I must have imagined it, and lie down to go to sleep again, but then another scream forces its way into my eardrums.

"CAAAAIITLIN!"

I run, not thinking about, well, anything really.

All I know is I have to get to Barry.

I burst into his room.

He's in a nightmare.

I go to his side, but not before he lets out a scream.

"Barry!" I urgently shake him awake.

Nothing happens.

"Barry, it's Caitlin."

This seems to take effect, for he finally wakes.

"Caitlin?" He pulls me close. I awkwardly hug him too.

"You're okay, you're okay." He repeats over and over, as if I was the one who needed comforting.

I kiss his cheek, guessing he needed physical closeness. "Barry, do you want anything to drink?"

"Um, no."

He suddenly turns shy.

"Could you- Um, if you didn't mind-"

"Do spit it out, Barry." I go for exasperated.

"Could you stay with me?" His innocence is so blatant I feel like an overprotective mother.

"Sure, okay." I let go of my inhibitions, reminding myself that this is _Barry_ (which doesn't help at all), and _he's just been in a coma_, and _he's not okay_.

I crawl into the other side of the bed, mentally hitting myself for buying a bed only suitable for fitting one person.

Why, oh why, did I not use $50 to buy a bigger bed?

He cuddles me, tears soaking the shoulder of my shirt, and we shift so that we both fit right, like a puzzle.

_Made for each other_, a voice echoes.

"Cait?" He sounds like the child needing protection, and so my reply is swift.

"Mm?"

"M'sorry."

"It's okay Barry. Go to bed. We'll talk in the morning. Make sure you don't hurt yourself."

And here comes the mother hen.

"Kay Cait."

And just before I drift off, I swear I hear a whispered 'love you'.

I woke up to a quiet, rhythmic breathing and a fast tempo of a meta-human heart.

Wha- Oh.

Oh.

Kay.

Erm, how do you get out of his arms without waking him up?

I decide there's no other way to do it, so I try break out of his embrace.

His grip tightens on me, and he opens his eyes.

"Hey Cait," his sleep-weary voice says.

He kisses me on the forehead, intimately, and I blush redder than his suit.

"Where are- oh. Oh."

I think he's finally cottoned onto the events of the previous day.

I give him a tired smile. "Want breakfast?"

A twinge of something works its way into my stomach.

I want nothing more in this moment to kiss him, and enjoy the peace created by the moment.

But I know he'll regret it when he comes out of the coma. He'll blame me, and I'll have to move amidst all the pain of heartbreak, and it'll be worse than when Ronnie died, because he doesn't want me.

He wants Iris.

It repeats in my head like a mantra, sucking the sunshine out of what should be a tranquil moment.

"Cait?" Barry's voice snaps me from my thoughts.

"Sorry. I just drifted off for a bit there."

"I can tell. So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"I have no idea. But you are staying in bed today, mister."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes. I don't care if I have to put you in the meta-human prison with a bed, you are officially on bed rest."

"No."

I see this going nowhere, but under no circumstances am I willing to admit defeat.

"Please, Barry," I move my face closer to his, and he sucks in a bated breath, "You just came out of a coma. Please can I look after you?"

"Grr...Fine."

I smile widely. "We'll be making blanket forts tonight anyway. I need to go grocery shopping, and you will be hooked up to all the machines we brought home."

"Fine. But can I request something for breakfast?"

"Depends on what it is, but I see a range of perfectly acceptable foods for you to eat that you like."

"Can I have waffles?"

"I admit, I expected something more like Big Belly Burger, but it's okay."

"I'm not that unhealthy."

"Whatever you say. Now, be a good patient, and lose the shirt so I can hook you up."

An awkward moment ensues.

"That came out wrong."

"Ya think?" Barry says, and we both sit up, Barry pulling off his shirt and me stretching to attempt to get up.

I get off the bed, remember something, and facepalm. "I'm an idiot. And possibly the worst medical practitioner ever."

"Why?" Barry leans back on his elbows.

I rush into my room, pulling a dress from my closet.

"I LEFT MEDICAL EQUIPMENT IN MY CAR!" I pull it over my head and run, grabbing a pair of heels and my keys, flinging open the door.

I should've known he would have done something.

A second later, I'm sitting next to Barry on his bed with the medical equipment in a neat pile by the door.

"Wow. Um, normally I would yell at you, but thank you." I say breathlessly.

"You're welcome. Now get these machines on me, because the faster you do so, the faster I can have waffles!"

"Okay. Um, get comfy. You probably won't require any needles."

I retrieve three small units.

"What do they do?" Barry asks, surprising me. I'd always assumed he knew what they were, or didn't care to know.

I hold up a small white unit that Cisco has dubbed 'The Toaster TV'.

"This is a modified version of a pacemaker. It measures heart rate and stuff, but it is attuned to _your_ usual statistics."

I hold up another machine, light green in colour with a holographic display flashing at the top.

"This measures your calorie intake, your body mass index and your glucose levels."

Finally I hold up a small white machine.

"This is a sedative I've been toying with for a while. It's enough to kill an elephant, but in your case should put you to sleep for a good four days. I couldn't adjust the dosage, otherwise you'd feel the pain. I worked it out with a simulation."

"So what's the heart rate that triggers it?"

"Uh, 360." Cisco was 98% sure that any higher would have disastrous consequences.

I affix them, then retrieve the last couple, placing them on the bed before opening the large med kit on the floor by the foot of the bed.

I then turn my attention to the last two. A small thing resembling an ordinary timer I stuck onto his heart, and checked my tablet to make sure the data corresponded.

It did, so I turned my attention to the last device. It was a waistband, similar to the one used when I was sceptical of Barry's powers.

Barry arched his back as I enclosed my arms around his well-defined shape, and tried to focus on putting the waistband on.

I adjusted it to his ribs and pulled out my phone, concentrating on the data flowing wirelessly.

That's when I be come aware of the loud, erratic beeping of the heart monitor.

"Barry?! What's the matter?" My cheeks warm when I realise why it was beeping so erratically.

"Okay. I-" I point at myself, pulling the cover from under then over Barry, "Amd going shopping, and you-" I point at him, "Will be sleeping when I get back."

"Okay."

I inch my eyebrow up.

"Okay, fine." He adjusts the covers for a second, then turns over exaggeratedly to the side.

"Kay." I smile, then go to my room and get dressed. I come out, yell a quick 'bye' at Barry, and then I'm off.

I get into my car and hit the grocery store.

Unfortunately, I have to circle around for ages for a parking space.

I get out, patience wearing thin.

I grab a trolley and accidentally collide trolleys with a handsome guy.

"Sorry," we say at the same time, and I note he has a British accent.

Correction to the above: handsome British guy.

And I'm a sucker for an accent.

"No really, I'm sorry." I say, cheeks tinging with pink.

"I'm Ben." He comes around the side of the trolley, and shakes my hand.

"I'm Caitlin."

Weird.

I usually introduce myself as Dr. Snow.

He places a kiss to the back of my hand, and butterflies, similar to the ones I have with Barry- wait, no- rise in my stomach.

"I'm sorry, this is weird, but would you- Um, will- Would you please accompany me somewhere?"

I pause for a beat, then shake off my remaining doubts.

"It's not that weird. And okay, where to?"

He shows a nervous smile, and a hot liquid pours into my stomach. He holds my hand, and looks back into my eyes.

"Now, come with me, Caitlin Snow, and you'll find out."

"Okay." I giggle like a schoolgirl.

Why shouldn't I go?

A little wriggle of doubt pounds my brain incessantly. Why couldn't I leave and spend the rest of my life with him?

Then suddenly, Ben touches my back and all the doubt goes away.

I abandon my trolley and walk with him.

I sit in the passenger seat of his car, and don't even notice the needle go into my neck.

The next thing I know, everything is black.

**A/N: So everything is scary-like now, but I cannot give away the ending. Though I am considering killing off Caitlin.**

**How's that for a possible spoiler?**


	6. Save Me

**A/N: Sorry for not updating, I'm trying to get my emotional baggage sorted out before I end up doing something bad. **

**Not like trying to watch all the seasons of Supernatural in a week bad.**

**I promise to try keep a regular schedule of writing FanFiction, okay?**

**I have gotten half of 'A Very SnowBarry Christmas' sorted out. It is going to be VERY long. So expect that sometime possibly in the next two weeks if I don't do my homework.**

**Okay, now on with the part that people ACTUALLY care about!**

**Barry's POV**

Something's wrong.

I can feel it.

I don't know what, but all of a sudden I _really _needed to talk to Caitlin.

I grab my phone, willing her to pick up.

I don't care if she yells at me, I really need to talk to her.

Suddenly, it pick up, and Caitlin's voice comes running through.

I sigh microscopically in relief.

Then I realise it's her voicemail.

I hang up angrily.

I'm so worried.

All the machines were beeping so loudly. I saw my heart rate. 340.

Shoot.

Breathe, Barry, or you'll be of no help to anyone.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Just breathe.

Breathe.

What would Caitlin do?

I hear her voice in my head.

_"Call Felicity,"_ it says.

So I do.

No more than two rings later, she picks up.

"Hello, it's Felicity."

"Hi, it's Barry. I really need a favour."

"Yeah, what do you need?"

"Can you track Caitlin down? She's not answering, and something's really wrong. I can feel it."

"Okay. Um, give me a seecooond...And, it's dead, Barry."

"Can you triangulate it's last known point?"

"Yes. It's in a grocery shop parking lot."

"Can you get CCTV footage?"

"Yes," Felicty replies.

I hear her breathing hitch.

"Oh god."

"What. What is it?"

"It's Caitlin. Someone's stuck a needle in her neck and then it all goes black. There's no more footage till about five minutes later. The weird thing is all the cameras on a single route go black."

"They're calling me."

"It's a him. But there's something else."

"Yes?"

"I think it's a meta-human. There's sort of a violet aura around Caitlin since she meets him, and the it only increases once her touches her. He lets go, she fights it, he touches her again, and she's gone."

My blood boils.

I strip off the machines.

"Where does it lead to?"

"The end of the city. There's a number of abandoned warehouses there."

"Thanks. Bye, Felicity."

"Call S.T.A.R Labs, Barry. They'll help."

"I will."

"I hang up, calling Cisco.

"Cisco, Caitlin's gone."

"Wha-?"

"She's been taken by a meta-human."

I think he's wide awake now.

"How?"

"Um he's sort of got this attraction thing going on, then he leads her back to the car, no license plate, then the CCTV goes black. There's a trail of disabled cameras to the edge of the city."

"I'll get a heat sig on it."

"Thanks. I'll be at the cortex soom."

"Kay."

And then I run,

run,

and r u n.

The thought he could be hurting Caitlin sent me desperately to almost the fastest I could go.

"Cisco! Where is she?" I stand outside a block of warehouses, showing various degrees of rust, desperately waiting for his answer.

"She's in the fifth one from the left. It's the only one with heat signatures."

"Kay."

I flash inside, immediately looking around.

There's a woman tied to a chair.

Upon closer inspection, I see it's Caitlin. She's unconscious.

Now I am VERY mad.

Also a bit scared. But I flash her out of the warehouse and into STAR Labs, laying her gently down on the bed.

Then I go back.

To catch the bastard that did this to her. She's my Caitlin.

I'm the one who always gets hurt, and she patches me up.

It was our dynamic; the way we moved around each other like a seperate solar system of our own.

As much I wanted to run back to Caitlin and hold her in my arms to she woke up, I couldn't do that. I physically needed to make sure he couldn't hurt her again.

I stand in the middle of the warehouse.

There's no-one there.

Then a chuckle rebounds off the walls.

A loud, deep-throated chuckle, malicious and reverbrating. I can't tell where the source of the sound is coming from.

Then he starts slowly clapping.

"Hello, Flash. Ordinarily, I'd continue on with my crime somewhere else, but I owed someone a favour."

"And who would that be?" I asked, my voice vibrating.

"My Uncle."

"Would I know who he would be?" I go for humour, and I admit, it's not one of my strong suits.

"Very well. He has a certain...cool about him taht you might recognise."

"No way. Snart is your uncle?"

"Yes."

"No."

"I assure you, it's true. I was born on the second of February, 1992."

"Not much older than me, huh."

"How would I know? Anyway, I'm afraid its time to meet your doom, Flash."

**I promise not to leave you in suspense for too long!**

**I discovered 'Fangirl' by Rainbow Rowell, and I now know that I'm not going crazy, and other people do have this level of social anxiety. (Still trying to sort that one out, so I'm going to a movie on Friday with my classmates.)**

**I am a NERVOUS WRECK.**

**Remember the girl that was not very nice to me is going to be there.**

**Anyway, do any of you get a stomach ache with social anxiety? Like I feel physically tired if I'm around people, but I'm okay now.**

**Please leave a message telling me about anything! I really would like to know anything about you guys!**

**Also if you come from France or Switzerland, help me. I have a speech to learn. I messed the last one up. I literally forgot half of it, stopped it twice, fell over, and THEN ran off the stage.**

**Tips, help and general conversation with words appreciated! **


	7. The Chapter Of 7

**A/N: So, a few things:**

**\- Yes, I finally posted. Depending on the reaction to this chapter I may or may not take down this story.**

**-I'm taking down one of my stories. They're getting so hard to keep up with on an exam schedule.**

-**There is a rant at the bottom of this chapter.**

I'm tracing absent-minded circles with my thumb onto her skin when she wakes up, not fifteen minutes from when I sat down.

She opens her eyes, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Her eyelashes flutter open like butterflies, and I could've cried with joy and relief at the sight of her warm, honey-brown eyes.

She looks at me, and my breath catches in my throat.

For but a few seconds she looks untroubled, then a small frown creases her face and smoothes out, almost faster than I could catch, but not quite.

Her hand stiffens in mine, but she forces them to relax.

"Deep breaths, Caitlin," I tell her, optimistic, oddly so.

She blinks quite a few times and breathes.

"Are you oksy?" i ask.

"I will be," she replies in a totally-not-cliche manner.

"Good to hear," I smile at her, before squeezing her hand for a few seconds.

"Wifey, you want out of here?"

"Yes."

"May I get a kiss for my troubles?"

"You may do."

"I'll be back."

She half-smiles. "Okay."

I find Cisco tinkering in the break room.

"Hey man, can you get Caitlin checked so she can go home?"

"Okay. Just give me a sec- and done."

"Cool." I accompany him back to the cortex.

Once all the necessary tests have been done, I sweep Caitlin off her feet to accompany her back to her car.

I put her in the car, then return to Cisco for her care instructions.

"Okay, so she needs 25 milligrams of this, twice a day, and these tablets will let her go to sleep, but she needs to be hooked up to these machines, and I imagine she's got your very similar ones at home."

"Thanks dude. I owe you one."

"You most certainly do," he smiles after me.

I get in the drivers seat.

"Hand over your keys," I instruct her.

She does so without complaint, which is unusual for Caitlin, but I shrug it off, putting it down to, you know, the aftereffects of being kidnapped and all.

So once we drive home, Caitlin get out of the car.

"Thanks for saving my life," she says quietly.

"No need, I would do it a bazillion times over," I reply.

She's quiet for a moment, but does speak again.

"Look, I know you save people everyday and stuff, but- oh, nevermind."

Her frustration is utterly endearing.

"I'm going to find a way to cure you of the coma aftereffects."

Wow. That was not what I thought she was going to say.

"Cool. That's really awesome of you, Cait."

"I don't suppose you want that kiss now?"

I go up to her and kiss her on the forehead, lingering for a few seconds.

"Too late, no takebacks."

She smiles at my deliberately childish antics.

"We'd best get inside. Don't want to catch a cold."

"Yes, sir- ma'am."

We go inside. Her apartment remains unchanged.

I grab a couple of takeout menus.

"WIFEY, IS THAI FOOD OKAY TO EAT FOR DINNER?!" I yell, thinking Caitlin was in the shower.

"Ow! Not so loud! I'm not deaf yet!"

"Yet?" I smirk devilishly.

She rolls her eyes. "Okay. I'm going to take a shower. Order the Thai. Pad Thai for me, thanks."

"You're welcome!" I call after her.

I order the Thai, and just as the doorbell rings, Caitlin comes out, pyjamas on.

I pay for the Thai, but Caitlin gets close.

"Another day," I promise her.

After we eat, we both go to brush our teeth.

I shave (sort of, and Caitlin helped a bit), and she washes her face and does her 'feminine ritual' thing.

We both brush our teeth at the same time, gargle, spit and then it's a small matter of getting Caitlin hooked up to the machines.

I hand them to her from their place on the kitchen table.

She goes looking in her closet, comes out, and curses.

"Damn." She mutters, oblivious to my open-mouthed gaping.

She turns around and blushes.

"Um, I-Uh," is what comes out mof her mouth.

Now I'm curious.

"Come out with it, Caitlin."

"The toaster TV needs an IV pole but you've got it, and I'm not taking it, but it is possible to share it, so could we maybe, possibly sleep in the same bed?"

"Sure, yeah."

She exhales, takes a few moments before resuming her matronliness.

I sit on the bed, watching her make adjustments.

"Do you want me to do you now?" She immediately blushes a furious scarlet.

"Wow. Deja vu." I smile. "But, yes please."

"Shut up," She smiles despite herself.

"As you wish."

She's silent for a fewmoments, starting with the toaster thing and the other thing.

Then comes the waistband.

She misses the catch not once, but _twice_, which was practically unheard of.

Then she gets it around.

"Phew." She exhales again.

"You do know I will not shoot you, right?"

"What? Uh, okay, yeah."

"Good to sort of know."

Then she goes about attaching the machines to herself whil I make myself comfy.

She attaches electrodes near her collarbone and on her wrists.

"Can I get you to do up the clasp?" She asks, waving a waistband similar to mine.

"Okay," I say, not very chatty, voice uneven.

I brace myself, because it's _Caitlin, _goddamnit, and I couldn't do this, not while she thought I was mentally unstable.

I lied to Cait when I told her I wasn't listening. I didn't get it myself. But those years, with her, felt like reality and most amazing I had ever known, and now they were cruelly ripped from me.

I keep myself from gasping when she lifts her shirt up.

Not because its high, (it barely shows her lowest rib) but the expanse of creamy skin, no matter how small, was so intimate and not mine that I almost couldn't do it. I nearly lost my self restraint and kissed her and told her I loved her.

But I couldn't.

How fate was cruel.

So I do it up, and then lie back down, but when Caitlin gets in the bed, I let her settle for a few seconds before draping an arm around her.

When she snuggles into it, I know just how deep I'm in love.

If she doesn't reciprocate my feelings, I have no idea what I'll do.

I know what a crush is.

This is nothing like this. My 'love' for Iris was _nothing _like this.

The _idea _of loving someone else, of _ever loving someone else,_ is so painful that I bite my tongue to keep from making a noise.

A loud, erratic beeping startles me out of my thoughts.

Caitlin turns around in bed, somehow not getting tangled in any of our wires.

"You okay there, hubby?"

"Hubby?" I snort.

"Well, you call me wifey, I might as well."

I think for a second. "Okay."

"Yeah?"

"Yep."

By this time, the beeping has descended into background noise.

I was calm once again.

**A/N: I know how out of hand the tenses are getting, but I wanted to know if anyone still wanted to read this story.**

**So Guest said:**

**Screw 60-plus years of comic history, more like.**

**B****, the Flash series doesn't exist in a void. It draws heavily from Flash: Rebirth, which was written by Geoff Jones who actually works on the show and yes, he is a WestAllen shipper himself.**

**FrankenBlizzard ain't goin' nowhere. Give it up.**

**-First off, I told you that I was disregarding the comics and basing on the TV SHOW, OF WHICH THIS ARCHIVE IS FOR. If you would like to nitpick some SnowBarry shippers or some fic, a) don't do it to people, it reflects bad social skills and a certain violence which is not appreciated (I do accept CONSTRUCTIVE criticism), and b) there is an entire COMIC BOOK archive for you to nitpick. If you have already done so, try writing some.**

**Secondly, are you calling EVERY show that has not got comic history a void?**

**What about Gotham, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Once Upon A Time and MANY others?**

**Do they exist in voids?**

**Thirdly, I'm working my way through a whole notebook of TV shows and movies. I will add Flash: Rebirth as a happy compromise.**

**Fourth: What the HECK is a FrankenBlizzard? Your pen name? If so, I'm still uncertain. You could elaborate.**

**Final comment:**

**Please don't post hate. As I said before, if you had suggestions, please leave them.**


	8. Or, The Chapter Of Stuff

p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I flash home quickly and change, being careful to not wake Joe up./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"My bag is packed in double the time it takes me to change, and then I'm ready./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I go back to Caitlin's place with my- ahem- essentials./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I figure its best to wait outside and knock./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I stare at the dilapitated old knocker (the gold paint really needed a recoat) and the white door for three seconds (I count the seconds, it's the lightning's effect on my brain) and then I raise a slightly pale, slightly shaking hand to knock./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I rap twice on the door, hesitant to see if Caitlin would answer./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Five seconds passed./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"emMaybe she's in the shower? /emMy brain thinks./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"But of course, I was literally gone for all of twenty seconds. emYou'd think she'd mention that she doesn't want me to come inside because she's in the shower./em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I knock again, slower this time./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The slightly harsh sound of my hand hitting wood makes a dent in the otherwise perfect silence./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""COMING!" Caitlin yells./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She opens the door, and looks very surprised to see me./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Hey, stranger," She smiles. "Sorry about the wait, I wasn't sure if it was my door you were knocking on, and I thought you'd just pop in here, so yeah."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Don't worry about it," I smirk at her, leaning against the open doorframe./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She shakes her head minutely. "Come on inside. Wouldn't want you getting rusty."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I chuckle a little bit at her joke./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She bustles around in a cupboard by the shoe rack for a second, before emerging with some thing shiny./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She hides the object behind her back, much to my annoyance./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I was never one for surprises," I tell her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I know," She replies meekly, lips quirking up on one side in the way that I love./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""And?" I quirk an eyebrow up at her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She seems to remember something./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wait, hang on here. Promise not to follow."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Wh- Fine." I had a feeling my patience would be rewarded./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Okay. Be back in a sec." She emliterally/em skips past me, hands clasped tight behind her back./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Three minutes later, I can hear all sorts of things happening down the hall./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I cannot stand doing nothing while all sorts of things are happening in Caitlin's room./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"So I go to the kitchen./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I find eggs, and bacon./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I confess: I can't cook./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"So when the smoke alarm turns on and the piercing beeping starts, Caitlin is out faster that I could have been, and that's saying something./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I quickly turn the stove off and put the pan on the counter./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Surprisingly, the food looked- emedible./em/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Barry, pass me that broom please." Caitlin yells, and I somehow hear her over the beeping and my arms over my ears./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I do so, trying not to release my death grip on my head./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Caitlin takes the broom, nods once in a emthank you/em gesture, then proceeds to beat the living crap out of the smoke alarm with a strange violence I'd never suspected before./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Caitlin was feisty?/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"When the sound finally dies, Caitlin gives it one more emthwack/em for good measure, then throws the broom aside./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Remind me to never make you angry," I smile at her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I will." She smiles, then turns to the smoke alarm with a glare of hate. "God, I hate those things. So my cousin died of smoke inhalation, and she'd just had a new system installed last week."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""I'm sorry. Were you close?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Relatively. She lived out in Emerald, so I didn't get to see her too often. So, I hate smoke alarms. What mundane object do you hate?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Nail clippers or chairs."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Do I want to- Nevermind, I really want to know," Caitlin says, pulling up a chair and sitting on it./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Um, trapped in an abandoned house at fourteen. Turn out some idiots were just trying to mess with me, and they locked me in using a chair, as well as pulling all kinds of messed up pranks on me. Eventually, they got bored and let me out. Joe was livid. Anyway, I have not beaten up a chair."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Too bad. I know what to get you for Christmas now."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""A chair?"/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"Caitlin once again has the look associated with one who has just remember their house was on fire./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""You know what, nevermind," she says to herself just after she passes me./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She emerges a second later, something back in her hands./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Sorry, I don't have a box for it. I usually have jewellery boxes, but I bought a cabinet for my almost nonexistent jewellery collection last summer and got rid of the small ones."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"She holds out at key in her palm./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""So happy early birthday?" She says shyly./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"The key is definitely a house key. I recognize it from her keychain./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Now you don't have to wait outside. This key is all yours, until I change the locks."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Thanks," I grin at her, and go to hug her./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I embrace her, and she says in my ear, "Well, you're going to be stuck here for a bit until we give you back the last three years of your life, so I thought, might as well."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;""Seriously, this is awesome."/p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"I retract a little bit to study her face./p  
p style="max-height: 999999px; font-family: Verdana, Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px;"And suddenly, I'm kissing her./p 


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So my last holiday day is being spent updating my stories so you guys won't knock down my front door, wielding fire torches and pitchforks.**

**I'm not kidding.**

**Also trying to improve my writing, because it freaking sucks and I have no idea how this story has gotten so much attention.**

Previously on 'The Coma':

_I retract a little bit to study her face._

_And suddenly, I'm kissing her._

**Barry's POV**

The kiss is unlike anything I've ever known.

Her mouth moving against mine, each of us trying to show each other how much we loved the other (well for me, anyways) and her hands are curling up to my chest.

It wasn't a brilliant explosion of fireworks, like the stuff my dreams would have me believe, because I'm kissing Caitlin Snow, for God's sake, and she's never been predictable.

Instead, it was _so_ much more.

It was beyond the reach of metaphors, of analogies and similies, beyond the reach of language, beyond the reaches of time and space, and the description of several galaxies simultaneously exploding with a gazillion times the force of a hundred atomic bombs wouldn't do it justice.

We finally needed air (Caitlin more than me, super healing powers and all), hesitate for a second, savouring it, capturing it, tattooing it to our brains, and then we surface.

Everything is ten on the awkward scale (hello terrorists, you've been bombed out of the water, you're a mere nine now) and then I can't stand the crippling awkwardness, the uncertainity hanging about in the air like flies in the Amazon, the words of hurt which are sure to fly next-

So I kiss her again.

This one was more passionate, standing in the wreckage of a bomb site like the two luckiest survivors ever, but also humble, like those cliched kisses in the rain, the feeling of being so in love, and her arms are around my neck, pulling her closer to me, and mine are around her waist, doing exactly the same.

This one felt more right, in a way.

This one got rid of all my conflictions over whether I should tell Caitlin, about my hesitations because she thought I wasn't working quite right.

And then we needed air again, and I needed clarification that this was actual life and not a very real-seeming dream.

"So," I say, after a few seconds of catching our breath.

"So..." Caitlin repeats.

My head suddenly hurts with a great intensity, sending me to the floor and Caitlin into a panic.

"Oh my god, wait, I'm a doctor!" I can hear her muttering to herself.

"Cait," I say through the pain. "I think my brain is starting to sort through the memories. Could you put me to sleep with the elephant tranq?"

"Uh, uh," I can almost smell her panic. "I'll go get it."

"Good, please hurry!"

She turns and runs down the hall, emerging a few seconds later with the white machine.

She opens the machine and takes a needle, full of clear liquid, out.

She steels herself for a moment.

Then it goes in and my brain is on vacation.

**Caitlin's POV**

_Why couldn't I do my job properly?_

_Is this to do with Barry? _Of course, you idiot.

_Am I too emotionally compromised?_

_I need a breather. _I sit down on the floor next to Barry.

_Caitlin, make a plan._

_Step One: Take Barry back to STAR Labs. They can monitor him for the weekend._

_Step Two: Do something nice and fun to take your mind off of EVERYTHING. Mini-vacation._

_Step Three: Invite Felicity?_

_Step Four: Book nice resort, come back in two days._

_Step Five: Forget you EVER kissed Barry._

"Okay," I say to myself.

So I lug Barry's body into the car, saying he was drunk to all the people staring at me.

I don't think I've ever got this much attention from my neighbours.

I put him on the machines, which was difficult to do in the passenger seat of a car, and leave the IV pole for my machines.

I only had one, and STAR Labs had eight, last time I checked.

So I drive him back, not explaining anything to Dr Wells or Cisco, who look at me in confusion.

Then I run back to my car, no easy feat in heels (pun unintended), and speed-dial Felicity.

"Hey, um, how are you doing?"

"Good, you?"

"I've been better."

"Why'd you call?"

"Can a girl not call her best friend?"

Felicity chuckles a bit, and because of the bad connection, it sounds like rain pelting a windowpane in a very hard storm.

"She can, but you prefer to Skype for everyday chats. What's up?"

"I need a getaway vacation."

"Why?"

"Some shit hit the fan and I really need to sort myself out."

"You kissed Barry, didn't you?"

My silence somehow provided an answer. I was merely trying to form the words in my brain.

"OH MY GOD! TELL ME MORE-"

"Felicity, mind not telling everyone in the general vacinity?" I say, starting up my car and driving out the gates.

"Oh yeah. Um, do you want me to tell you the best spa resort?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to come. You don't have to, of course, but it'd be nice to not only meet when the world's in trouble."

"Yeah, it would."

"So you're coming?"

"Girl, I think this is long overdue. Pack your bags, I'll be at your place in four hours."

"How do you know where I live?"

"You're really asking a _computer hacker _that?"

"You know what? Nevermind. See you in a couple of hours."

"Bye." Felicity's voice is bubbly with excitement, just as I turn, two streets away from my apartment building.

I'm excited too.

For once, I'm not waiting around to have my heart broken.

**A/N: Caitlin's going sassy! **

**I've decided I've written her a bit- wimpy, for lack of a better term. **

**So she's going to mature (or demature) a bit in the next chapter(s) and she will somehow become funnier.**

**Also, a couple of my stories will be undergoing a total rewrite (I'm not changing the plot, just adding stuff in because it seems to reflect my non-editing policy- everything you read is my venting at the world.**


	10. Short

**A/N: Hey, its me again, and I have run dry of inspiration yet again. I seems to be carrying my laptop around more for this purpose, but I live in a constantly changing weather environment.**

**Also, I feel attacked and caged. I just want it all to be over.**

**I feel like I'm drowning in all of this stuff, and I've tried, I really have. I've tried religion, tried talking, tried distraction.**

**I really **_**don't **_**want to live anymore.**

**But I have to. **

**I made a promise, and I also owe it to my mother, who actually, from time to time, forgets that I exist. My brother is working on his- **_**ahem, issues **_**\- and it seems a great time to be alive. Expect for the fact that everyone's spreading rumours around me, and people are telling me that this one girl really wants to hit me in the face more than anything. Which is terrifying, because she's rather strong.**

Caitlin's POV

I feel free.

Felicity's 'rented' a convertible, (she argued we needed an 'authentic' experience, and because I wasn't paying for it, I agreed) and that is why both her an I are screaming the lyrics to every pop song on the radio we know.

My hair's blowing at 95 miles an hour, and my sunglasses are pressed to my face.

The sun's on my back, and I feel- happy.

There's no boy drama, no one needs saving.

I let out a triumphant 'wahoo!' at the end of the song, and we're at the resort in the blink of an eye.

It's a colourful whirlwind, checking in.

This place, which promises a tropical island with none of the cons, truly is beautiful.

I wish Barry could see it, which is ironic, because its him I'm running from in the first place.

The sun is out when I reach my hotel room. Felicity had booked a room with a door in the middle, which was nice of her, because, apparently, I talk in my sleep.

"Hey, come on! I want to see all of the hot pool boys in the resort!" Felicity opens the door.

"Really, Felicity?" I raise an eyebrow, and she pouts.

"Put on your bikini and let's go!" She practically shouts.

"Uh, I-" I stammer. My swimsuit may be the most hideous thing that has ever seen the face of the earth, and I'm not even _interested _in fashion.

"Caitlin, I will be right here outside your bathroom. Now go put on your swimsuit!"

So what can I do?

I had the foresight to wrap the gross thing in a towel, so I carry it into the bathroom and put it on.

The end result is worse. The material has bunched up in places, and there's some holes in it. To avoid exposing my boob entirely, the entire suit drags down one side and it generally looks like I have been puked on in the bath.

So I wrap myself in a towel and go out, where Felicity is waiting.

"Take the towel off, Caitlin."

"I don't wanna." My voice is reminiscent of a two-year-old.

"Take it off, Caitlin."

When I finally do, she gasps, and runs into her room, yelling nonsensical words like a crazy person.

Then she emerges with a black bikini.

I love it immediately. For a bikini, it doesn't seem to show a lot.

"This is officially yours for the weekend." Felicty hands it to me.

I gasp. "I couldn't really, I mean-"

"Caitlin, I have about five more bikinis in my suitcase. Don't make me call the fashion police."

Felicity purses her lips.

"Well, I think putting you outside is a done-for way to get arrested. Plus, I need you to not scare off my game."

I accept the two-piece.

"Aren't you with Oliver?" I yell through the bathroom door as I'm getting dressed.

"Yeah, but it's like a candy shop for a broke person. You can look but you can't have." Felicity yells back.

In a minute, I'm dressed and decent, and Felicity seems eager to go.

"The sooner we go, the sooner you can tell me about your boy problems!"

"I don't have boy problems!" I protest, and I put my flip flops on (thank god they're actually nice and clean) with my towel and keycard tucked under my arm.

Felicity puts on a wide-brimmed straw sunhat to go with her see-through robe and sunglasses. Her hair seems to have grown since I've last seen her. She's wearing a bright pink string bikini; the string of which is longer than pasta but about the same circumference.

She strikes a pose. "Come and get me!"

I chuckle a bit.

Someone takes us to two deck chairs, we thank them and take a seat.

Felicity pulls the menu off the table.

"Oh, goodie! Poolside service!"

"Cool." I stare at the pool, thinking about Barry. How was he?

Has he woken up?

Did he remember me, us, it?

"Hey! CAN I GET A MARTINI OVER HERE?!" Felicity yells from beside me.

Eventuallly, someone gets her one, for the next time I snap out of my thoughts, she is sipping a deep pinkish-red liquid with a pink straw and a lemon wedge.

**A/N: Sorry for the short update. I really am. **

**But I'm dying slowly, and it's worse than drinking hemlock.**

**What is the great point? What is the way out?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: You must all think I'm dead.**

**Sorry to disappoint.**

**Here's a new chapter!**

"Hey," Felicity taps me on the shoulder, when the place has filled up a bit. "I'm going swimming. I see a cute lifeguard at six o'clock and I'm going to have some fun. Not that being with you isn't fun. But. as you can see, I am not the quiet and relaxed type. Life's too short, ya feel me?"

"Fel, you go have fun." I smile at her. "Keep your eyes on the big prize or I'll call Oliver, kay?"

Felicity pouts. "Nope. I will get away with this, because you are not a tattletale."

I laugh. "I'll keep you posted. Oliver's got his work cut out for him."

"Damn right. Oliver is whipped." She says, and drops her robe and stuff off in the locker that we've rented between the two of us.

So Felicity goes in the water, and I go back up to my room to retrieve things I need to do.

Maybe I could read for a bit - my forte, as I'm not exactly the best person in social situations.

A short trip to the small locker, up the stairs and down the corridor, and I open the door to our room.

I shut the door behind me and chuck my suitcase onto the bed.

Opening it, I rifle through my suitcase to feel for my secret novel collections.

Lately, I've been more into new age stuff - I seem to have grown into this century - so I grab Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper and then, after locking and double-checking that I had locked the door, I go back downstairs.

I rest upon the long white chair and eventually ask for a soda.

I put my only pair of sunglasses on and earbuds in so that nobody feels the need to disturb me, and after checking Felicity and the lifeguard are getting on well (but not too well) I settle into my fictional land.

Eventually I get bored of the book (I've only read it, like, eighty times), so I head back upstairs.

After changing into a light sweater and jeans, I go back to the pool to go give Felicity the keys.

She's just about to pop back into the water, after parting with the lifeguard on good terms, so I hand her the keys.

She ties them to her bikini string. "Thanks. What are you gonna be doing for the next couple of hours?"

"I think I'll poke around the shops for a bit, then I might get something to eat for the both of us."

"Cool. Hey, I heard about this rave from Zack - the lifeguard - and I think I wanna go, but I won't unless you come, so you should get some party clothes I'd approve of. We can go shopping tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Okay then. Say we meet back at the room at 5:30?"

"Cool, I can do your hair and make-up as well as mine."

"Sounds like a plan." I nod awkwardly, sticking both hands into the back pockets of my jeans and walking away.

So I walk around the nearby plaza.

I find a Barnes and Noble WITH A REALLY CUTE CAFE NEXT DOOR (!) so I try find a couple of books. I settle on The Rosie Effect and The Minaturist after a lengthly debate, and then I have an hour to pick out something.

-39 MINUTES LATER-

Crap. I have been in four stores, and I have only bought a stack of bracelets and a necklace (on top of the books) just because the attendant was glaring at me.

I have maybe ten minutes before I have to start heading back, so I find a Habitual Fix and get two burger combos.

While I'm waiting, I find another store which looks promising.

After trying a couple on, I find the perfect dress in one of those cast-off boxes - the discarded items people chuck their clothes in after they've tried it on and are too lazy to put back.

It's red, sleek, and exactly the thing that Felicity would approve of, with a little flair of me added as well. Plus, its in my size.

I can almost hear Felicity applauding me.

I hurry out and walk fast back - to the food, pick it up and _run _back to the hotel room, and just in the nick of time, too.

As soon as I open the door, Felicity pounces on me.

"Kay. Sit down. I've got burgers."

"SHOW. ME. THE. DRESS." SHe says while unpacking her food.

I go change while Felicity eats.

"Tada!" I say, arms out and in a dramatic pose.

"That is- wow." She wolf-whistles.

"I know, right?"

"We are totally going to rock this rave."

-ACTUALLY AT THE RAVE, 3 HOURS LATER-

The party is already in full swing by the time we get there.

Girls are tossing their hair and swinging their hips, and the boys are- well, if we ever do meet aliens, never introduce the two.

I immediately feel foreign.

Felicity slips right in. I knew she would.

It's only like an hour in, and I feel something's wrong.

I can't place it at first.

Then I realize.

Felicity.

Where is she?

I scan the exits, then zero in on her.

She's drunk, at least, but what's more concerning is the fact that the guy she was talking to is dragging her out the door.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Two updates in less than a week - it must be a miracle!**

**Haha no its just exam time and I'm procrastinating.**

**WARNING: CONTAINS POSSIBLE TRIGGERS AND ADULT THEMES.**

**Caitlin's POV**

My phone is out before I know it.

My thumb is hovering over Barry's name, but I quickly dial Oliver instead.

I can't go to the police. This is most likely an illegal rave, and I don't want to be a target.

I don't bother with a hello, and start hurrying in the direction of where Felicity went. "I'm pursuing Felicity. Something's happened, and Barry can't get us out of this."

"Where are you?"

"I have no idea. Wait. We were out at the hotel - Hotel Klaidssen and then we went to a small seedy minimart on the word of the lifeguard Felicity just met."

I'm almost at the door.

"You kissed Barry, didn't you?"

"What? Seriously? Well, technically he kissed me, but your girlfriend's been kidnapped and I need you to come here right now. I'll try to deal with it."

"Caitlin - don't you dare-" But it's too late. I've hung up, and in doing so, sealed my fate.

The guy is drunk, stringy, with dirty blonde hair and resembles a nerdy Haymitch Abernathy with no glasses.

Felicity is giggling like someone told her the world's funniest joke while the guy is kissing her neck.

This is sick.

"Hey, dickhead!" I yell.

The guy turns around.

"Yeah, you. Pick on someone that hasn't been drugged by you!" And I come up and clobber him with my platform heels that Felicity made me wear.

He sinks like a stone, but I'm not sticking around.

I carry my shoes and purse in one hand and try hold up Felicity, who's half-asleep by this point, and take her back to our room in two hours, albeit with a LOT of effort.

I clean up the entire hotel room once I've hoisted Felicity onto the bed.

I call Oliver again.

"I've dealt with the guy, but he looks like he someone with very powerful local friends."

"Okay, Caitlin. I'm almost there. Diggle's in the back. In the meantime, close your blinds and lock the door. Lock the bathroom from the outside. Try minimise the possible ways you could be killed."

"Thanks. Anything else?" I say, as I follow Oliver's instructions.

"We'll yell 'Big Belly Burger' before knocking." Diggle interjects.

"Okay."

"One more thing." Oliver says.

"What?"

"Thank you."

I'm taken aback. "Uh, you're welcome. If you're forgetting, Felicity is my best friend. Freinds do that for each other. Usually friends of the feminine gender. If you want me to clog someone in the head with platform heels so that they pass out, I'll save you, but I'll be weirded out."

"You knocked the guy out - with your shoes?"Oliver and Diggle seem to be trying not to laugh.

"Yeah, so?"

"Oh, I like you," Diggle says.

At this point, I decide Felicity needs some comfort for when she wakes up, so I drag her suitcase into my room after repeating the steps that I'd done for my room and lock the door in between.

"Okay, I'm going to tend properly to Felicity now. Anything else you need, gentlemen?"

"Nothing until we get there."

"Kay. ETA?"

"Four minutes."

"Gotcha." I hang up.

I strip the duvet and pillows off the bed and then put a towel underneath where the pillows were. I add the pillows, add another towel on top of them, and then fold the duvet over so it rests in a big poofy pile at the end of the bed.

I drag Felicity into the bed, and take care of her shoes (thank the heavens she decided to change her shoes from killer white heels to a pair of golden sandals at the last minute) and undo her hair.

I don't really want to change her clothes just yet until she wakes up, so I tuck her in and then put another towel and the plastic bag from Habitual Fix next to her (after checking for holes, of course, but their plastic bag manufacturing seems to be solid.)

Just then, I hear a yell of "Big Belly Burger!", so I go and answer the door, being careful to check for any hidden assassins behind Oliver and Diggle.

They hurry in, all buisness, and I wet a cloth with some bottled water and fold it so it covers Felicity's forehead.

"She's been drugged and she was drunk," I tell them. "So it might be better not to be in her face when she wakes up."

They take a step or two back from her bedside. "You can sit on the end of the bed, but watch out for her feet."

They surprisingly take my advice.

"How long will she be out?" Oliver asks.

"Um, these standard date-rape drugs take about two hours to wear off, but this is a new area. I have no idea what she was dosed with."

"I'll call the cavalry in then. They're a couple of minutes late, but they'll have pulled up by now."

Oliver stands up and goes by the window to call them. He hasn't got his uniform on - I'm guessing he left it in the van.

"What is the cavalry going to do?" I ask Diggle, at the risk of sounding stupid.

"They're going to scare the crap out of these guys."

"And will I be able to get the name of this product, by any chance?" I don't feel sorry for the poor bastards, though.

"You'll have it before she wakes up."

"Thanks." I say, then go check the cloth. It's normal, which is good, and it means that the toxins have not affected her too badly.

I look at my friend, and sigh.

Oliver was really going to have to keep her on a leash.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Here's the last chapter (maybe, but I may extend it to see how their dynamic works while they're dating if I get enough interest), and it's also my extra long birthday chapter!**

**I don't know why I'm writing you guys a chapter since it was MY birthday yesterday, (you should write me a fic haha) but here it is.**

**I'm still continuing Not Everything Goes Perfectly, but I'm kind of going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment, so bear with me.**

**Thank you all (in the case I don't extend this) for all the reviews and follows and favourites!**

A half hour later, I'm almost asleep in the armchair after checking Felicity over, when the door is knocked. Roughly.

It's a very manly sort of knock and that thought made me giggle.

Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes (and hopefully my temporary insanity as well), I go to answer it, thinking it's Team Arrow.

Instead, I see two burly guys with an awful fashion taste standing (with really bad posture) before one of them spray me with something and I fall unconscious.

A WHILE LATER

OUCH.

God.

Have I been kidnapped - yet AGAIN?

That's it. I'm taking self-defence classes with Team Arrow's girls.

I AM SICK TO DEATH OF BEING A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS.

I wonder how long its been.

Now that I think about it - why is everything black?

I must be in that place again - the one that you see before you wake up.

I just hope there's no horrors awaiting me when I open my eyes.

I groan, letting the captors put their clothes on just in case they had just come out of the shower.

_Then _I open my eyes.

My first thought is: _Eh, I've been in worse. _

My second thought is no better. _God, this decor is so depressing. Also, the mould everywhere cannot be good for your health._

There are three stocky guys, eyeing me up like a piece of meat.

At this point, I kinda wanted to be a veggie.

I realise my dress has been hiked up - and has stains (_THEY BETTER COME OUT, YOU DICKHEADS) _and my thighs are a free-for-all.

"Hey, this is embarrassing, sorry for flashing you guys. Let me out and I'll call it quits?"

The guys just grunt.

Great. This time I get thickheaded apes. What's next, Groddzilla?

"So, have you guys seen the news lately? There's a cute story about how a penguin and a puppy became best friends. Aww - and the pictures are just adorable."

I know I'm rambling, but at this point, it's better for them to underestimate me than overestimate me.

That's only my cover story.

The truth: I have no tactic and I'm probably gonna die.

"Oh my god, I love your jacket! Tell me where you got it?" I ask with a pout.

Well, now I'm just acting like an overexaggerated version of Felicity.

One of the guys give me a sneer. "Off of a dead soldier's body."

My face goes blank, and I pretend I'm doing a play in high school again. Not gonna lie - HUGE THEATER GEEK SITTING RIGHT HERE.

"Oh. Well, that's kind of hardcore," I say with a conversational tone, as if I was talking about work, or the weather.

Before the guys can get in a word edgeways, I start up again. (I don't think they're conversationalists, really.)

"You know, I don't really like what you've done with the place. It kinda kills the feng shui."

A different but equally bald guy gives me yet another sneer (seriously, is there a knucklehead school to learn this kind of thing?) and says, "That won't be all that's dead tonight."

"Wow. Just wow. You've killed my heart, Alfonzo. Nah, that's no gonna be your nickname. Too Italian. What about Al?" I'm digging myself a grave and I know it. But what did it matter anyway? I was already dead, might as well go out with a bang. "Okay, so you can be Al, you can be Cor and you can be Scar." I gesticulate with my head respectively to each man in question, since my hands were kind of bound in duct tape.

"I grow tired of this game," Al says.

"Me too," says Cor.

Scar's the nice one. "Well, the boss man didn't say to kill her."

Al's intelligence is slightly above 3 IQ points. "He didn't say to not kill her."

"Well, what if we do and he gets mad? Do you have a magic bring-back-to-life stick on you?"

He says, and I wriggle my coat around to cover my bare shoulder. Apparently these guys cared enough about me to make sure I didn't die.

"Personally, I'm all for the killing." I pipe in and the men stare at me, astounded.

"Well, I have an amnesiac sort of friend back home that has been sleeping in my bed at home since his accident, and then I kind of kissed him, and things got complicated because well, there used to be this other girl that he was in love with since forever, but she got a boyfriend and he moved on. So then my ex-fiance comes back from the dead after around the time when my friend kissed the other girl so I was just like, "Oh good for you and stuff - look at my undead boyfriend yay!", but I was kinda dying at that point -" I say, then stop, choked with the memories of my tangled and irreplaceable relationship with Barry.

A tear sneaks out, and I sniffle.

"I'm sorry for blubbing. Do you have girls back home?"

Al nods. "My mam," he says respectfully, which chokes me up a bit more.

"Jessa, my twin sister." Cor says begrudingly.

"Cat. She's my fiance," Scar says.

"Look, I'm so sorry. Please just kill me. I'm not that great, I don't need anyone, and no one needs me."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" A voice hollers from above.

"NO!" I yell. "Barry, STOP! DON'T HURT THEM!"

It's not too late.

He runs down to a stop in front of me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. How'd you find me?"

"Felicity woke up and you kind of butt-dialled me. Again." He says.

"Thank god for that."

"Why'd you stop me?"

"Well, I think they might just let me go." I say to my sort-of captors past Barry's shoulder, and they nod.

"It was nice meeting you guys," I tell them.

"Likewise," Scar says.

"Next time you're in town, hit us up. We're going to start a buisness together called MaxiCorp and we're going to do something that doesn't require killing or capture or maiming."

"That's pretty cool of you guys." I say.

"Let's go," Barry says. "We need to talk."

So he runs out, _with the chair I was currently bound to,_ and goes back to the hotel room, where Felicity was sleeping. These guys even closed the door after kidnapping me.

Wow.

I take a deep breath as Barry unties me.

WHAT THE FREAKING HELL IS GOING ON?

I am literally so fucking confused.

It's driving me crazy. Why does everything smooth over so quickly?

Why do I have what seems to be the quickest case of Stockholm Syndrome ever recorded?

"What are we doing? What are we going to do?" I ask when I sit down on the hotel bed, rubbing my sore wrists and trying to get a little circulation going.

Barry pauses for a second or so.

"Look, I- I'm not sure what you want to do, but if you want to, I'd be interested in pursuing a relationship."

Barry blushes, then takes my momentary silence as a no.

"Of course, we can still be friends and stuff."

I decide to just bloody seize the moment and kiss him.

It's a very summery kiss, I decide later.

It's friendship and the ocean, it's sunlight and camping underneath the stars, it's those stupid moments that you look back on and laugh at.

He's as calm as the rolling tide, steady but with a power about him that draws me in.

And then Team Arrow decide to open the door.

"Oh. Oh" Felcity says.

Diggle hands Oliver ten bucks.

Oliver smiles. "IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!"

I giggle and give Barry another quick peck before I get up.

"Should we go home Barry? I'm kind of tired."

"Cool. I think you could come over to my place and eat some Thai with me,"

"I think I could too." I smile, and Felicity yells, "Get a room!"

I get to Barry's bedroom in about thirty seconds. His apartment looks like an art studio, and the sun is just setting in Central City, so the colours cast onto the wall like pretty projections.

Barry sits down next to me for a second, catching his breath, then his phone bleeps.

He checks it, then pecks me on the cheek.

"I forgot something."

He comes back a minute later with my stuff and some Thai food, but I didn't find out till the morning.

I was curled up under Barry's dark grey sheets, on the corner of the white walls, as fast asleep as a bear in hibernation.

Barry curls in next to me.

He kisses my hair, says "Goodnight, Cait," then falls asleep next to me.


	14. The Chapter of IS LATE BETTER THAN NEVER

**A/N:**

**Hey, sorry I haven't updated in like, over 3 months. I had to deal with some abandonment, some deaths and starting a new school by myself.**

**I'm not exactly okay, but I'll survive (maybe). **

/

Last night must have been a dream.

The last week has all been a dream.

Shame. I liked this dream.

Gotta wake up now though.

I groggily swim up through the blackness, identifying some noise to the right, and my body feels like it's erratically twitching and ugh so many pins and needles - my butt is so numb at this point that I'm kind of wondering where I am, and how long I've been here.

Where is here?

/

**A/N: Next chapter hopefully up within the next five minutes?**

**The hater seems to get off on my attention...**

**literally omg plz stop you were the one who barged in here talking about how it was so unfair that ****_I _****shipped and wrote fanfiction about SnowBarry. You were the one who said omg racism!11! I get that you want poc to be represented, and I'm fully behind that, I really am, but I don't see Barry and Iris' chemistry at more than a friendly level. You can't make me ship something I plainly cannot see. Sure I'd love for more poc characters to be put on television (instead of this one black person per television show thing they've got going on), but this is literally a television show aimed to cater at younger audiences than those that watch Arrow. So no, I ship SnowBarry because I can see the chemistry between them. I don't ship WestAllen, but I genuinely respect them, except for when they just hate on everyone else for no reason.**

**So thanks, and I bid you be gone.**


	15. HERE YOU GO, TAKE MY WORDS

**A/N: Here you go. I wrote most of this (I really thought that it was way longer too) last month when I had a spare weekend, but I added some changes.**

What is happening? I don't know.

I can hear noise. Where am I?

I'd say I was in a coma or something, but that's not possible.

What? Where? How? Why?

The questions keep running a relay in my head, turning and twisting and running and pounding, and I can't deal with this anymore, I have to wake up.

I sit up straight in the bed, gasping heavily as if there was no air in the room. It's white, I notice.

It was blank, bare and cold.

Why were the lights so bright?

There's Barry next to me, he holds my gaze for a few seconds before he starts yelling for the nurse (even more confusion), and he runs up and embraces me.

There are tears streaming down my face, and I don't even know why I am crying.

I wipe away my tears and ask Barry, "Where am I?"

"You're at the hospital, silly. You took a couple of hits from Captain Cold, but we did it. We finally ended him."

"I don't remember this."

"I didn't think you would, actually. You and Cisco did that research, remember, last year? It said that the more you used your powers, the more you wouldn't remember the big battles."

Powers? Is this some kind of joke?

"Um, nope?"

"Cait, lie down, okay?" He gently lies me down and kisses my forehead.

"Powers? I don't have powers, silly. That's you."

"Come on, Cait, don't flatter me."

"I really don't remember any of this. What's happened? Give me a breakdown of the last year or so then."

"Okay, stop acting weird. Do you not remember getting your powers, joining the team, ro say, you know, getting married to me?" He has a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"I'm not married to you, Barry. Now stop playing this stupid joke on me. You probably bumped your head or something. Where's my lab stuff? I want to get you checked out."

"Caitlin, what's the date for you?"

"Maybe the eighteenth or something. November, definitely."

"Year?" He asks in a sober tone.

"2015, obviously."

"Caitlin, it's 2018."

Will you please stop with the stupid jokes Barry?

I want to go home. I tell Barry this.

"Please," I say.

He seems to consider it.

"Well, I'll take you home tomorrow. But stop playing around with me, okay?"

"I really don't know what you mean by this. I want to go to bed in my apartment."

"I'm gonna call the nurse, okay? They wouldn't let me check you out myself. Emotional attachment, they said."

"You're not a doctor. You're a forensic scientist with the CCPD."

"I was, two years ago. I was doing those night classes and got a doctorate. Now I work here, Opal City Hospital." He gestures to the walls on either side of me.

I can't deal with this. This is very plainly nuts.

So, like a child, I turn to face the other side of the bed and lie down, using the blanket as a makeshift wall to this weird crazy fantasy world.

**A/N: So, basically the reverse. Tune in about Sunday night (NZT, so maybe about Saturday night or Sunday lunchtime for all you other time zones out there that still maybe want to read this) for a new chapter.**

**Goal:**

**Longer than the past three chapters combined. Should I try or do you like these weird nuggety bits that remind me of those fruit nuggets that I used to have in my lunchbox - I was very obviously a cool kid.**


	16. I BRING THE FUCKING RAIN DOWN

**A/N: Here it is, before midnight here! **

**This is just over 2,000 words, so I've made good on my promise. I had to sit for seven hours in a car, and some spelling/grammatical errors may have been made because I have the worst headache right now.**

**In other news, I might be looking for a beta reader - so just apply via PM to let me know if you're interested.**

When I wake up again, I'm in a different room.

The bed's larger &amp; more comfy, the walls still white, but with actual furniture.

I gather up the comfortable blanket around me, and try and sort through my memories.

Oh- Oh my god.

I was gonna die. Twice.

Once at the hands of mafia-type thugs that Barry and I had accidentally turned into good people (I am still really confused about that) and once at the hands of Captain Cold's nephew.

My breath comes in short gasps.

Why and when did everything stop feeling so real?

Where was the boredom and monotony that so often accompanied my work days?

I am distracted by Barry coming in.

He enters with his back turned to me, and is in a refined version of his Forensic Scientist outfit. It makes my heart pang a little for my Barry Allen.

"You can't be real," is the first thing I say to him.

He cocks his head. "Well, how would you know that?"

"I didn't say I did," I mutter, on the defensive. This could be a meta-human's work, so I had to be careful with what I revealed.

"Okay, grouchy. Here's your breakfast." There's a tray with some pancakes, some toast and jam and a glass of juice.

I feel the corners of my mouth turn up, then I force them to stop and remain neutral.

"Thank you," I say stiffly.

He then takes off the funeral blazer and pulls his suit pants off. "I need to go and get some real pants, so don't start without me." he says, and goes to presumably find a pair of pants.

I nervously play with my hands until he gets back.

He jumps onto the bed and cuddles up with me, and it takes all of me not to go and hug him back, because this was the Barry I loved. He even smelled mostly the same.

I allow myself to hold his hand, but otherwise focus on eating.

I let Barry have about half of the pancakes, pushing his to the right edge of the plate, and gave him the entirety of the toa st. I wasn't that hungry.

Once breakfast is finished, I hold his hand and walk through the rest of the house.

I recognise a couple of objects that belong to me, but the rest is all new.

Even the pictures of us, hung all around the house, are all new.

Apparently I took a trip with him to Italy to get ice-cream sometime in late 2015.

He gives me a small shy smile when he sees me looking at the picture.

"I really hope you remember that."

The sentence hangs in the air - I can almost see those damned words.

I hug myself a bit, then walk up to Barry, and give him a big hug.

Even if I wasn't sure this world was real, I still felt for the poor guy. To have your wife taken away and replaced with someone else who looked exactly like her, talked like her, and had probably the same memories except all the ones of them together probably took a giant hit to your emotional stability.

He hugs me back. A little bit tighter than my Barry did, but the hug was still nice.

A little while later, I sat down at the kitchen on a barstool.

I'd gotten changed into some comfortable clothes, and the giant cardigan was helping muffle some of my anxiety at tbeing in this new world.

I had heaps of questions, of course, but I wasn't going till ask them till later - Barry probably had enough on his mind without having to worry about the cultural adaptations I might have to make.

Barry, bless him, approaches me with a mug of coffee and a bowl of ice cream. He sits a fair distance away (probably put off by my on-again-off-again clinginess), and sits sipping at his own mug while I take slow sips, trying not to synchronize them so as to minimise the awkwardness (because it would probably make it more sterile and robot-like than the situation already was).

Eventually he speaks.

"Hey, um, I have work off today, so do you want to go to the library?" He asks, slightly shy.

I'm surprised he sounds so shy, so I give him a real, genuine smile, and tell him to go grab his keys.

He stares at me for a second before going to do so.

When we get to the library, it looks pretty much the same as it did three years ago. The interior has changed quite a bit to become more modern, and i look with awe at the bigger shelves and the unusual floating computers.

"You did those, with Cisco. Dr Wells gifted them to the public, and then STAR Labs was slowly accepted back again into society."

I stare at the computers for a few seconds more.

I latch onto Barry's arm. "Please don't leave me alone," I say, quietly, hating myself for being so weak.

He gives me a hug. "I won't," he murmurs against my hair.

I hold his hand as we browse the stacks, stopping occasionally to pick up a book of interest.

The books haven't changed, but when we get to the computers, I'm totally lost.

Barry takes me step-by-step at how to use it, and I'm surprised at how well it works.

I hold the stack of books. "Should we pick up some popcorn on the way home?"

"Sure, but the grocery shopping has changed."

I smile a little bit. "Let's go to see the future."

So, as it turns out, its pretty easy to use the machine.

It was basically a self-checkout morphed with a vending machine.

I'm so fascinated by it that I order a bit more than I mean to.

So instead of the one item we had come to obtain, we left with about eight bags - I'm quite curious to try some of the new things as well as see if the ones I have had changed at all.

I'm so excited to read and try these new things, so I grab the books and run all the way up to the house we've parked outside. It's fairly large and prettier than the other ones on the street, and slightly more modern looking.

I run up the steps, ready to throw open the door (I literally forgot about keys and the fact that they existed) and jump into the couch.

I look at the door.

There's no doorknob.

"Barry!" I yell. He comes running at a normal human pace.

"What is it, Cait?"

"Where the frick frack is the doorknob?"

"Oh," He laughs. "That's a new system that many people are getting installed in their homes. It's a fingerprint recognition system, and yours is programmed on it, so just push your thumb against it, and hey presto!"

I look at him sideways for a second. I could not have ever imagined Barry using those two words, but now it's out there, and I concentrate on the door.

To my surprise, it works.

Like honest to god works.

"Cool!" I exclaim.

I leap inside, and put away the groceries and start making the popcorn and refreshments, occasionally asking what the functions were and how to use them when it came to the new kitchen appliances, at a speed that would put the Flash to shame.

I'm still dancing around the kitchen when I finally ask, "What happened to the Flash?"

He stops short, sobers up, and sits down.

"The Flash got too big for his boots. I wouldn't tell you this normally, because you were there, but you're going to keep at it, if I know you, so here's the real story.

At the end of 2016, the Flash and his team were pretty much the only police officers. Sure, the CCPD helped out a bit, with guidance from STAR Labs, but the only people really doing the legwork had powers.

Then someone attmepted to blow up the CCPD building when there was a Team Flash meeting containing the original members of the team - Iris and Eddie had moved away to Emerald City at this point, because they both found promotions at work, and Iris was expecting a kid.

I was late, and you were in the elevator going down to the parking lot to yell at me for being late - and that's what saved us.

I couldn't choose between three possibly dead men and you.

So you were impaled by a metal from the elevator, and was practically almost dead in every sense of the word, but I saved you with a blood transfusion.

My powers started stuttering, and now I don't run anymore - I'm just part of the tech support. You do enough good for the both of us, though, and that's what matters."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. We both got through it, together."

"Follow-up question: how do I do enough good for the both of us? I am a scientist, a doctor. You are part of the team."

"So are you."

"I don't understand."

"You have powers too." Nope. This was definitely an alien planet.

"That's not quite right."

"Try to use a muscle in your brain you'd never imagined having."

I attempt the exercise.

"Not working - no powers."

He comes up behind me, and guides my hands.

"Close your eyes, and just - let your imagination loose."

In an instant, I think about an ice horse, how perfect the shape is, how pretty it looks - and then I open my eyes, and there it is on the table - about the size of my hand, looking as adorable as it had in my head.

I try do it on my own, but it doesn't work as well.

"By the way - we're linked. We have better concentration if we're together, and our powers work better."

"So, hypothetically, what would happen if I built you an ice running track?"

"I'd be just under the speed level of how I was before the incident."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

I kind of want to nap, but I want to read, so I get the book pile and put it on the counter, and pull out the popcorn and the weird soda.

There's something I want to do with the couches that I saw on pinterest or tumblr once, and I push the identical couches together and put a whole bunch of blankets and pillows in it to create a giant comfy reading pit.

I get my book, To Kill A Mockingbird, and then sit in the pit with Barry.

After about twenty pages, I find that we'rve gravitated towards each other, so I shrug and cuddle up to him.

We read our books till well into the afternoon, and then Barry decides on Thai for dinner.

"Will it be the Pad Thai for you then?"

"Yeah, thanks," I'm so engrossed in the book that I barely register the outside world.

About twenty minutes later, I am broken out of the book spell by the smell of delicious food.

We sit down for dinner on the barstools, and I thank him.

He looks surprised for a couple of moments, but then he smiles, and waves the gratitude away.

"You'd do the same for me," he says, and I freeze, flashing back to the weird period of my life when a Barry Allen from about three years in the future came to Central City.

Would this be the same Barry Allen, but he seemingly can't remember? I don't even know anymore.

"Has the shower changed much?" I ask.

"Not really, actually. We didn't do much to the bathroom when we moved in. So the shower and toilet should be free to use. Towels are in the airing cupboard."

"Thanks, but I might finish up another couple of chapters of this book before going to have a shower."

"Course. I'll go have one then, and I'll read for about twenty minutes. You okay with sharing a bed? Cause those couches aren't the best thing to sleep on, and we have no spare beds."

I smile shyly at him, again struck by deja vu at how similar these situations were. "Okay."

"Cool. You finish that book then."

"Roger that," I say, and jump back into the pit to read again.

**A/N: Tada!**


	17. START OF THE HOME STRETCH GUYS

**A/N: Here's a couple of lines to keep you placated whilst I work on another big chapter for y'all!**

**I'm sorry for the length, but I keep forgetting about it.**

**Here you go!**

It's almost three chapters later when the book falls out of my hands, and I, slightly distracted and disturbed by the fact I have powers (literally for god's sake), attempt to try it.

I extended my fingers, attmepted weird hand contortion, and- nothing.

I am tempted to pick up the book again and leave it alone, but then I think of Barry.

I wanted to impress him, I admit; I wanted to show him I was worth something.

I clench my hand unconsciously, and then when I open it again, there's a single, perfect lightning bolt.

My face lights up, and then I think of Barry and the Flash and the lightning bolt, and suddenly they're little ice sculptures everywhere and the euphoria of creating and creating is like a drug.

The ice sculptures stick together and meld and form into new shapes, a giant wave of new objects, one after another.

**A/N: So basically Caitlin's having a bit of an Elsa moment while I work out some kinks in the story and then plot the final destination that this story is gonna take.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N:**

**Well, in a not-so-surprising turn, I haven't posted in like four months.**

**What can I say, people and life in general suck. My now severe and crippling depression and anxiety have gotten worse, which sucks. I don't have any friends. I had a boyfriend who ended up being an asshat - meh kisser, good liar, excellent cheater, brilliant gossiper, especially when it comes to me.**

**I also dropped my laptop down a flight of concrete stairs. It did not get repaired and now I have a new one which is, excuse my french, a pain in the ass.**

**You guys are getting tired of my excuses. I'm getting tired of my excuses.**

**So do you guys want spontaneous updates or a single, finishing chapter that should attempt to tie up loose ends by will probably suck anyway?**

**Love always,  
PercabethSkyewardClace13ore x **


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hello - okay this notice, along with the previous one on the last chapter, will disappear in 48 hours, as I cook up a 1,500 word chapter for you guys. Or more. You guys deserve it.**

**By almost unanimous vote you guys voted for me to continue on. (Sorry to the person who wanted me to wrap it all up - I send internet hugs and sincere apologies)**

**My life still sucks, and everyone is just hating (if you want perspective, my own mother called me ugly and fat - she wasn't even remotely pissed off at me, she just stated it as fact and has ignored me ever since) but we're not here to talk about my issues right now, no matter how much they suck, and however much I cannot ask for help.**

**I feel guilty for abandoning you guys so I promise I will try to finish within the next two months - I had a longer storyline going but I'm either going to work like crazy to get it done or trim it down.**

**And also, I might put another story up - unfortunately I have literally not caught up on The Flash since like Season One (yeah I know, I'm unqualified to be a fanfiction writer, ya-da ya-da ya-da, don't worry I have plans to catch up...someday) so it will be only Season One canon-compliant or AUs - I like writing both so that's okay.**

**Also - feel free to message me if you have any ideas - this is as much mine as yours.**

**Love Always,  
PercabethSkyewardClace13ore x **


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